The invention relates to an energy supply line guiding chain as well as to a chain link for an energy supply line guiding chain.
Known from DD 265 449 A1 is an energy supply line guiding chain for guiding supply lines that are used for supplying machines and movable elements. The energy supply line guiding chain comprises flexibly interconnected chain links that define a channel extending in the longitudinal direction of the energy supply line guiding chain. This channel is used for receiving supply lines. Each chain link has an opening terminating in the channel for inserting the supply lines into the channel. For the construction of the energy supply line guiding chain, DD 265 449 A1 proposes to convert an elastic strip by cuts transverse of the axial direction at selected distances from one another and of a selected cut length into a draw strip with profiled tongues that extend crosswise to the axial direction. Due to the fact that the energy supply line guiding chain consists of an elastic strip, it exhibits only a slight torsional rigidity. The use of such an energy supply line guiding chain is therefore limited.
Further known is an energy supply line guiding chain that comprises flexibly interconnected chain links, the chain links having two chain side plates that face each other in spaced relationship and are interconnected by a cross bar. Each chain side plate has a cross bar extending toward the opposite chain side plate. The cross bars are springy. The end sections of the cross bars overlap. To be able to insert a supply line into a channel formed by such chain links, the cross bars are deflected accordingly. Since the cross bars are deflected into the channel when a supply line is inserted thereinto, the possible number of lines that can be inserted into the channel is smaller than in the case of chain links having the same dimensions with releasable cross bars, as are disclosed, for example, in EP 0 384 153 A2. Because the cross bars must be flexible, and the chain link with the cross bars is made in one piece, such a chain link is relatively easily deformable.
Based on the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to further develop the known energy supply line guiding chain such that with a simplified insertion of supply lines into a channel extending in the axial direction of the energy supply line guiding chain, the energy supply line guiding chain is torsionally rigid. A further object of the invention is to describe a chain link that is suitable for a torsionally rigid energy supply line guiding chain.